I'm not afraid to die anymore, I've seen what lies beyond, and it is far more beautiful than anything in this life - Elvis

And yet in death he is still the King - and then some. From the latest Forbes richest dead celebrity list.

Elvis is top-earning dead celebrity

Just because you are dead, it does not mean you can't stage a comeback.

Website Forbes.com (www.forbes.com) said on Tuesday that Elvis Presley regained the top spot on its list of the highest-earning dead celebrities, ousting Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain who had beaten him last year.

Elvis shimmied his way back atop the seventh annual list of 13 top-earning legends that he had ruled since its inception, with estimated earnings of about $US49 million ($A53.44 million) in the year ending this month.

The rise from $US42 million ($A45.81 million) last year comes after CKX Entertainment, which bought part of his estate from daughter Lisa Marie Presley, embarked on a mission to renew interest in the late singer and actor.

Forbes.com said in a statement that the top 13 - who generated massive amounts of merchandising revenue - grossed a combined $US232 million ($A253.04 million) in the year.

In second place came Beatle John Lennon, who was murdered in New York in 1980 at the age of 40. He earned $US44 million ($A47.99 million) while the creator of Peanuts comic strip, Charles M Schulz, took the third slot with earnings of $US35 million ($A38.17 million).

Cobain was one of four who fell off this year's ranking. He debuted on the list in first place last year after his widow, Courtney Love, sold part of his song catalogue for a reported $US50 million ($A54.53 million).

Rounding out the top five on this year's list were George Harrison from the Beatles, who died in 2001, with $US22 million ($A24 million), and German-born physicist Albert Einstein with $US18 million ($A19.63 million).

Einstein has become a key trademark in child education due to the Disney-owned Baby Einstein brand of videos and toys.

The Beatles did well in the latest list in the wake of settling two long-standing legal disputes with the settlements believed to have exceeded $US100 million ($A109.07 million).

Newcomers in the list were actor Steve McQueen and the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown who died late last year. Rapper Tupac Shakur regained a slot on the list as did James Dean.

Rounding out the top 13 were pop artist Andy Warhol, Theodor Geisel, better known as children's author Dr Seuss, silver screen legend Marilyn Monroe and reggae superstar Bob Marley.

The other three bumped off this year's list were rhythm & blues pioneer Ray Charles, author JRR Tolkien and country singer Johnny Cash.

My next karaoke performance ...

So tell me

IF a really cute drunk guy in a club comes up to you and says "my brother over there thinks you're beautiful" ... and then proceeds to introduce you to his really cute drunk brother - who turns out to be his cousin ... and then all night the really cute drunk cousin talks too you .. saying "you're beautiful" every 2nd sentence .. and then when he leaves for a second the really cute drunk guy who approached you first comes over and says "you know if my brother didn't try to chat you up I would have" ... and then proceeds to tell you, you are beautiful ...

I mean ...

Does that count ...

Even though they were drunk ...

And would you give the really cute drunk cousin your number ...

Just wondering ...

Okay so I'm thinking, biking is a health hazard.

I have ridden my bike all of 3 times !

The first time was after I bought it, I had to push it to the petrol station to pump up the tyres. On my way I passed a group of guys, who were mocking me for not riding it up the hill ... I was like .. ugh dur brainless heads, the tyres are flat.

The second time you heard about, yeah the super gran incident.

Then ! this past week at tap dancing one of the ladies mentioned that the next day was 'national ride your bike to work day' .. so I did ! As environmentally aware as I am.

I left home bright and early, thinking it takes me two hours to walk home so it will probably take me about an hour to ride. It was a great ride ! I even over came my fear and rode up one of the biggest hills, even though I could see power walkers on the horizon, but I rode straight past them as they were huffing and puffing, yeah they obviously were not wearing super grans walking shoes. Me the road my bike and the car exhaust fumes were one with nature. I went so well that when I got to the street where I work I gave a little yelp, and pedalled with conviction, the conviction of one who has excelled at something. I even had a little bit of a whistle. I was sky high. Then came the driveway curb.

Somehow my bike wheel and the driveway curb did not mesh together. The driveway curb rejected my bike wheel and wouldn't let it connect. I went for a tumble - and proceeded to scrape my knee, leaving bits of it behind. So bad was the occurence that my boss made an incident report, which will be presented to the safety committee at their next monthly meeting. One of the questions on the incident report is, "what will the person involved do to ensure the incident does not happen again" - I suggested "If the person involved had a company car, the incident would not have occurred in the first place". The other question on the incident report is, "what does the supervisor/manager suggest to ensure the incident does not happen again" - He wrote, "Ensure that Trudy gets off her bike and walks when approaching hazards, such as roads, footpaths, tracks and other general public nuisances".

Brown Girl In the Ring .. tra la la la la la

I saw boney M ... what a blast ! I knew every single word to every single song they sang .. and by goodness gracious they still got it.

photos of my week so far ...

Okies here goes with the first installment of photos. I'll post them in sequence.

Monday 8/10/07 - This is where I work. It's a manufacturing company. See the clouds - at least it looks like rain !

Through the red door is the factory. Over 200 people work in there. The most important part of this picture is the vending machine - our chocolate source.
This is my work station. See the window ?? ME EITHER. Which is why the background on my PC is one that brings me peace, joy and happiness. Up by the fake flowers is a football, I throw it at people who annoy me ... I guess I shoulda tried cleaning it up before I took the picture huh !
Tuesday 9/10/07 - A few times a week I walk home from work. This is part of a bush trail that I go through. I was hoping the picture would show the vivid contrast between the burnt bush and the re-growth. It's amazing to me how our bushland can rejuvinate itself so beautifully.

Tuesday night we had our first lightening/thunderstorm for the season. This was the best I could do with my phone camera ! Taken from the front porch, overlooking our pool (hence the palm trees).
Wednesday 10/10/07 - so you have seen my workstation at work, now for my desk at home, with all the important stuff within easy reach. I LOVE MY ELVIS CALENDAR.
This is a painting I am trying to do. It's taken me about 1.5 months to get this far. I have changed it and changed it many times. I have a theme. I just am scrambled about how to translate what is in my head onto paper. Hopefully in the not too distant future it will be finished and I can show the whole peice - this is only the bottom right corner of the canvass.

I totally toasted super gran.. fair and square

I bought a bike a few months ago, never used it, until today. I went for a lovely bike ride ... out to Loganlea, about 1.5 hours away. It was a lovely day for a bike ride, the sun shining, birds whistling, clouds puffing up like marshmallows. I knew there were only a few hills to go over on the trek, so I was all prepared with my bike and its 18 gears (of which I have no clue how to use). I was making pretty good time too .. helped that the wind was behind me AND I got all the green lights, sheesh why doesn't that happen when I'm driving.

I felt very good about myself and go to the first hill. I negotiated my bike to the lowest gear and started to make my climb. Half way up the hill I could feel someone behind me. You know how you get that feeling. I thought nah, only thing behind me would be cars. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw this image start to descend on me. Low and behold it was SUPER GRAN. Somebodys dang granny was power walking straight past me ! Rudeness I tell ya. I had just enough time to stop my bike pull out my phone and take the above picture. She was off.

But, you know what super gran, on the other side of that hill is a downhill descent ! Yeah, you think you're so smart. I totally toasted her on the other side. Me and my bike whizzed past her and left her for dust. Yeah how do you like those cookies super gran, thinking you're all tough.

On a better note, when I was sitting at the dentist the other day waiting to get my wallet drilled, I was reading a national geographic.. In it was an article of a guy who was given a camera phone and paid to take a years worth of pictures. Every day he would upload pictures to a website. The phones website. Anyways I am going to try to do that too ! Starting with yesterday. My bro and I went to the beach. It was a SA activity, but he's just got his learner's permit, so if there's somewhere to drive I usually see if he wants to chauffer. Below are the pics I took with my camera.

Currumbin Beach 6th October, 2007.

what the ??

This is for real ... The 2006 Rock Scissor Hands Championship.

Like sand through the hour glass ...

I recently got a little bit older .. well we get older every day don't we. But my year changed. As I start approaching that 1/2 a century I have come to realise just how short life is ! I also look at where I am at right now, and realise, there isn't really that much time left make real the dreams I had in my younger years.

My father died when he was 51 .. The average life of man is 75. I reckon I have a few more decades left in me to accomplish what I want to accomplish. Actually I lie, one of the things I want to accomplish has to be done within the next few years, and that's because it will be pretty much impossible to achieve it much past that. I'm talking about children. But you know if it happens it happens.

Anyways I have been thinking alot about life and death lately. I have come to the realisation I really don't care about either. In other words .. if I have a few more years left in me, that's cool, but if I die tomorrow, that's cool too. I wouldn't say I am exactly prepared to meet my maker, but I am prepared to meet whatever my maker has install for me if I do. I know 2 people this week who have died, and in some way I am rather envious of them. Envious that they have been freed from this existence and are able to move on. I am not suicidal btw. I am just feeling that I'd rather be dead .. with my friends that have gone .. and my dad .. and my whanau .. I guess as I am getting older, I am missing those who are leaving me, more and more.

That's all.

Have a great day !

:-)